O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
HONOLULU
City No. 1 for digital access
For the second year in a row, Honolulu ranked first in the Center for Digital Government's survey on how cities use digital technology to provide citizen services.
The national research and advisory institute's survey ranks cities by criteria such as e-mail access to city officials, televised or webcast city council meetings and city services on the Internet.
Honolulu led the list of cities with populations greater than 250,000. Chicago, New York and Seattle tied for second place, while Colorado Springs, Colo., and Houston tied for fifth. Plano, Texas, was first among cities with populations of 125,000 to 250,000, and Roanoke, Va., topped the 75,000 to 125,000 group.
The survey, underwritten by Microsoft, is sponsored by DynTek (formerly TekInsight), which provides consulting, software and other services to governments.
Weed & Seed to be discussed
A community conversation on expanding the Weed & Seed law enforcement program from Kalihi-Palama/ Chinatown west into Kalihi Valley and east into the Ala Moana area will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow in the State Capitol auditorium.
Residents on both sides of the Chinatown area are working to create one larger district, and the meeting will be used to address their mutual needs.
The U.S. Justice Department's decision on approving the expansion is expected in late February or early March.
For more information, call Hawai'i Weed & Seed executive director Maile Kanemaru at 543-2216 or Rep. Kenneth Hiraki at 586-6180.
Ke'ehi canoe halau on agenda
The city's plan to build a canoe halau at Ke'ehi Lagoon Beach Park will be discussed at the Kalihi-Palama Neighborhood Board meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Kapalama Elementary School cafeteria.
The $650,000 canoe halau will be similar to other city facilities, with racks to store canoes upside-down with outrigger removed. The Ke'ehi halau will accommodate 27 six-person canoes 40 to 46 feet long, and 12 one-person canoes or kayaks in a secured building.
Ke'ehi Lagoon is one of O'ahu's primary locations for canoe races, home to three canoe clubs — Alapa Hoe, Kai Poha and Kalihi-Kai — and a practice site for several public high-school teams.
The board also will try to fill three vacancies.
Chinatown to mark new year
Several streets in Chinatown will be closed from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Friday for ceremonies to mark the start of the Chinese new year.
More than 5,000 people are expected to take part in the event, including five lion dance groups that will mark the Year of the Ram with visits to area businesses.
Traffic will be diverted between Beretania Street and Nimitz Highway from River Street to Nu'uanu Avenue.
For more information, call Henry Chu at 595-2227. For more information on Chinatown events, visit www.chinatownhi.com.
